MU and ISBA Launch New Consultancy Agreement for Visiting Music Teachers

The MU and the Independent Schools’ Bursars Association (ISBA) have launched a new consultancy agreement to help clarify how schools should work with self-employed visiting music teachers (VMTs).

Independent schools often provide excellent teaching work for MU members, but schools can vary in their understanding of self-employment. Consequently, MU members sometimes experience issues with schools attempting to exert levels of control that would be more indicative of employment.

We are delighted to have worked with the ISBA, which supports and advises the bursars and senior management of over 1,000 independent schools, to rectify these issues. The result is a co-branded consultancy agreement endorsed by both organisations, based on sound legal advice, which we have published with extensive supporting guidance designed to be of use to both schools and VMTs. As with all MU contract templates, the materials are freely available on our website.

This agreement harmonises the interested of VMTs and schools

David Barnard, MU Education Official said: “This consultancy agreement is music to our ears, harmonising the interests of VMTs and schools. Teachers are now free to focus on what they do best – teaching and bringing the joy of music to their pupils.”

John Murphie, Chief Operating Officer of the ISBA said: “ISBA and the MU working together on this template means schools get the best of advice for both the individual teacher and the school.”

As with the MU’s other template contracts for self-employed education work, this agreement can be amended to suit individual needs or used as a basis for members to create their own contracts. While the agreement was created with independent schools in mind, it can be used in any school where it is a fit for the work being undertaken.